David Hurn
Culture award 2025 winner
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Born in 1934 and brought up in Roath, Cardiff, David Hurn is one of the leading figures in the world of photojournalism and was an early member of the prestigious Magnum Photos agency.
He initially gained recognition as a freelance documentary photographer when he covered the Hungarian uprising in 1956, and over his long and varied subsequent career he has built a most influential body of work. As well as photographing cinema stars such as Sean Connery (as James Bond), Michael Caine, Audrey Hepburn and The Beatles, he captured memorable and searing images of the Aberfan disaster. He set up the Newport School of Documentary Photography in 1973.
Hurn’s publications such as 'Living in Wales' and 'An Ode to Wales' speak of his particular love for his country, but his work has been published and exhibited internationally, and his impact on documentary photography remains significant.
As well as contributing his own genius to the world of photography, David Hurn has generously given his internationally significant collection of works by other photographers to Amgueddfa Cymru as a gift to the nation. Now living in Tintern, David Hurn is still actively documenting village life through his camera lens, and his Instagram account is a joy to behold!
He has been called the most important living photographer in Wales.